Welcome to God's Country:
The Peterstown Hilton
Farewell message from Fr. Gifford!!
-- September 15, 2020
https://youtu.be/ZE8gGd2TiWk
Here is a video of Eucharistic Adoration "TEC is Alive" that Fr. Gifford hosted at St. Valentine's Church in Peru, IL, last August 12, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5AAVrk7vrc
The Latest News for our TEC Program -- July 20, 2020
Dear TECites:
We hope this message finds everyone safe and well in these uncertain times. We have some very important information to share with you.
The Sad News: Unfortunately, we have to inform you that a final decision has been reached to cancel the remaining TEC weekends in 2020 , for the safety of everyone involved with the TEC community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. There will neither be a Boys TEC weekend in October, nor a Girls TEC weekend in December. In consultation with other leaders in the Peterstown TEC Community and in the Diocese of Peoria, we will decide in November if we will be able to have a Spring 2021 TEC Season. The Boys weekend is currently scheduled for February 27 th & the Girls weekend is scheduled for April 17 th .
The Good News: Jesus Christ is still risen and alive. His love for each and every one of us is constant and unchanging. He has died upon the cross for you and I and risen, meaning that we have real and tangible hope in the midst of any trials we can face. This means that we can have confidence and hope, as we continue to draw near to the Lord in our own individual lives of prayer. But, it also means that the TEC Community does not have to simply be dormant in these months, but can truly embrace this as a time of renewal, in which we will allow the Lord to work in our midst in different ways than usual (see below).
TEC IS ALIVE: We have already scheduled the first of what we hope to be a frequent event for the TEC Community. Wednesday, August 12th, Peterstown TEC will host a special Holy Hour of Prayer in Eucharistic Adoration, at St. Valentine’s Church in Peru, at 7:00 PM . If you are able to join us, we would love to join together with you and have some personal connection with one another and with Our Lord, who is truly present in the Eucharist. TEC means TEENS ENCOUNTER CHRIST . We are very sad that we are not currently able to host TEC Weekends, but we can still come together to ENCOUNTER CHRIST and grow together as His disciples. This is what TEC is all about. Please consider joining us for prayer, music, reflections and a personal witness from Seminarian and Peterstown TECite Ryan Mann. We hope to also livestream this event for those who are not able to join us in person. It is also our hope to be able to announce the date and location of the next such gathering that night. Lastly, we also would love to hear from you what other ideas you might have about other opportunities for the community, amidst the many limitations we currently face. Please know that we are praying for our TEC community, for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, & for each of you and your families.
God Bless,
Dcn. Dan O’Connor, Spiritual Director
Fr. Daniel Gifford, Spiritual Advisor
"Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit."
John 12:24
In 1996, the Peterstown TEC Community hosted the National Convention, now known as the TEC Encounter, at Western Illinois University. Peterstown TECite, Jason Kotecki, created the logo "Go 4th with the Spirit," pictured in the upper left-hand corner of this page. Jason currently lives in Madison, Wis. with his wife and former Peterstown TECite, Kim, and their children, Lucy, Ben & Ginny.